Batts confirmation hearing is tonight

The Baltimore City Council's executive nominations committee will hold a confirmation hearing tonight for Anthony W. Batts, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's pick to be the city's next police commissioner.

Tonight's hearing begins at 5 p.m. and will air on the city's public access cable channel, TV 25.

Batts' contract has been signed, and he's been on the job for a few weeks. He spent 27 years with the Long Beach Police Department, before leading the Oakland Police Department for two years. The Sun wrote a lengthy profile of Batts last month.

If approved by the nominations committee, which consists of a fraction of the full council, Batts' nomination would be sent to the full council as soon as next Monday for a full vote. He is not expected to appear before the full council.

Batts has already made some moves - reinstating the rank of captain, which had been in the works under his predecessor Frederick H. Bealefeld III, and he and city officials talked a high-ranking commander out of retirement. Commanders also say he's putting an emphasis on foot patrols and intelligence.